Rainbows of the Future
by Robert Teague
Summary: Book III of Rainbow Brite and the War of Darkness
1. Reception

Rainbow Brite and the War of Darkness 

by Robert Teague

Copyright 1999 by Robert Teague This story is written solely for the entertainment of Rainbow Brite fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, providing no changes are made.

Dedication

For fans of Rainbow Brite everywhere, and most especially for Onyxmoon, whose own story inspired me to finally finish this.

In addition, I dedicate this third part to Katy Cartee, aka Rainbow Brite, whose love of the show has brought together a great group of people on her mailing list.

Author's Note

This third part of the trilogy was the most difficult to write. I am not comfortable writing violence, so hesitated a long time before reporting the events as they happened. Even so, I've spent a long time rewriting parts of it. I hope the reader will find the whole story to be an entertaining one, and will notice the philosophy that slipped in, surprising even me.

Enjoy!

Robert Teague November, 1999

Chapter One Reception

It was a special time in Rainbowland, and there were more guests and more excitement than had been seen in a long time.

A pavillion had been set up on the lawn to the right of the Color Castle, with tables and chairs for the guests, and a small stage for the Sprite band that would be providing music.

The sun was setting, and Sprites were setting up all of the Japanese-style lanterns that had been hung on poles to provide light.

Each lantern had a globe of Starsprinkles in it that would be activated and provide clean, heat-free light for hours.

On the other side of the moat were three spacecraft; Sorrell's blue and yellow one, Wajah's saucer, and Plock's wagon.

The members of the band were warming up, and adjusting the lanterns so they could read their music when it grew dark.

Red Butler made a final mark on his checklist, and looked over at Lala Orange, who was putting some final touches on the tables laden with food and drink.

"Well, that finishes that," he said.

"Did everyone invited show up?" she asked, putting a bit more orange on the flowers edgeing the table.

"Uh huh," he answered, "Brian and his family arrived just a little while ago."

"Just in time, then," she said, glancing at the Clock, just visible through the tent's opening.

"Well, I wouldn't expect Brian, Junior OR Senior, to be late for a meal," said Red with a smile.

Lala laughed. "You're right. Both of them have a special fondness for the food here in Rainbowland."

Red stepped over to her and put his mouth close to her ear.

"Especially when you make it," he said in a low voice.

When she turned to look at him, he kissed her, making her blush. His purpose accomplished, he turned away and pretended to go over the list again.

Behind him, Lala got a sly look. She picked up a loose flower, and tickled his ear with it. When he reached up to swat at whatever it was, she grabbed his wrist, turned him around, wrapped her arms around him, and planted a lingering kiss full on his lips. When she let him go, he stepped back, red-faced and gasping.

She stood there, arms crossed, a smile on her face, daring him to do something about it.

As Red recovered from the surprise, a slow grin spread over his features, and he advanced toward her, reaching to grab her.

"AHEM!" said a voice behind them.

They turned and saw Rainbow standing in the opening of the tent.

"Is everything ready?" asked Rainbow, ignoring their embarrassment. Secretly she had been amused.

"Everyone who was invited is here, Rainbow," said Red.

"The preparations for tonight and tomorrow are as ready as they can be," said Lala.

"Good work, you two," Rainbow said, smiling. She turned to Ojay, who had been standing outside, and said, "Would you please go tell the Kids and the guests things are ready?"

"Sure, Rainbow!" said Ojay, and scampered away.

She looked around. "Things are perfect!" she declared, "This will be a good memory for a long time."

A blue Sprite came up to her.

"Are the lanterns ready, Champ?" she asked.

"Yes, they are, Rainbow!" was the reply.

She touched the star on her Belt, and a rainbow appeared. They all watched as it went around touching all of the lanterns, activating the Starsprinkles within. They began to glow, and as the sky grew dark, the cheery light took over. Overhead, Moonglo had gotten to work, and the stars were shining brightly.

The reception was indeed, perfect. The food and drink and conversation as people who had either never met before, or had not seen each other in a while, got caught up with the news.

Sorrell the Sorcerer stood next to the food, nibbling at everything, and glowering at anyone who came near. Across the room, Stormy glowered back. Rainbow came by, and saw her expression.

"Relax, Stormy, enjoy yourself," she said.

"I'm gonna keep a eye on him. Let him step out of line just once..." Stormy said.

"It's okay, Stormy, really. It wasn't his fault the King of Shadows had taken him over."

"I know, but still..."

Rainbow sighed, and moved on.

In just the couple of times she had visited, Brian's wife Shelly had struck up a friendship with Canary Yellow. The two of them sat together now, with five year old Tina beside her mom, asleep.  
"Something wrong, Shelly?" asked Canary, "You look kind of dazed."

"Oh, it's just this place, Rainbowland. I still can't believe it's real. I've watched the cartoons a dozen times since Brian first brought us here, but they don't come close to showing the joy and happiness here."

She looked around at the brightly-glowing lanterns, the Sprites playing a spritely tune, clearly enjoying themselves, the colors of the clothes of the Color Kids as they danced.

Red and Lala were dancing vigorously, like they were competing, instead of dancing together. Red was still trying to get Lala back for that kiss, but she was matching anything he did. Indigo was dancing with Hammy, Tickled Pink with Dee Light. Patty sat by Wajah, talking to the small-statured alien who wore goggles that blocked color, and short-circuited his color-absorbing ability. She was the only one who wasn't still nervous around him. Violet sat alone, nibbling at a plate of fruit slices. Buddy was standing by the punch bowl, drinking a glass. He nodded to himself. He had made the punch himself, and was pleased it had come out so well.

Orin sat nearby, and the old Sprite was enjoying himself. He had spent the day in the company of Rainbowland Sprites, telling them about his life on Spectra. Now the Sprites were almost fighting each other for the privilige of serving him.

Standing and studying the activity was a person that at first glance would be taken for a Color Kid. She looked like Rainbow, but her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and was wearing a white dress with rainbow trim on the cuffs and hem. It was Doris, the computer program from Plock's Asteroid, copied into Robot Brite. It had turned out her program format was incompatable with the Rainbowland computer, but worked fine in the robot.

They had finally decided to copy Doris, rather than transfer her from the asteroid. Plock's ship now served as a relay to keep the copy in touch with the original, and she regularly uploaded her experiences to the asteroid.

The song ended, and another, a stately waltz, began. Red turned to Lala, but she whispered something to him, and gestured at Violet.

Red turned and looked at Violet, and Lala nudged him. Red went over and made a sweeping bow.

Violet blushed, but took his proffered hand and went with him to the dance floor. They took up the dance, and Violet proved to be a graceful and accomplished partner. Red didn't seem to be surprised. Lala had gone over to the table and munched a carrot stick as she watched them.

"I've been meaning to ask," said Shelly, "There are eleven of you, but why only two boys?"

Canary sighed. "On the planet we are from originally, the number of males and females are about the same, but being a Color Kid is unusual for a boy. It takes a certain kind of person."

She looked up at Shelly. "You've probably noticed that each of us is a...a certain way. There's a word for it, I think it starts with an 's'..."

"Stereotype," said Shelly, blushing, "Yes, I've noticed that, but I wouldn't have used that word; it's rather insulting."

Canary shook her head and smiled. "Not to us. You know that different colors affect different emotions?"

Shelly nodded.

"Well, different emotions affect Color Crystal magic. I was chosen for my color by my personality, and I am the best at using and getting the most from my yellow Starsprinkles. If we Color Kids had different personalities than we do, we wouldn't be the Color Kids we are. So you see? Saying we're stereotypes is a compliment to us."

"Would you be able to use the Starsprinkles if you were different?" asked Shelly.

Canary started to answer, but the dance ended. Red and Violet bowed to each other, then Violet took Red's arm and went with him over to Lala, who gave each a glass of punch. The three of them started talking. On the other side of the table, Sorrell picked up his plate and moved away from them.

"I thought Red and Lala were an 'item'," said Shelly.

"That's right, they are," answered Canary.

"Then why did Lala send Red to dance with Violet?"

Canary looked at her, puzzled. "Because Violet is their friend, and they want her to have a good time too."

Shelly shook her head. "That wouldn't work very well at a social event on Earth."

Canary suddenly laughed. "I think I see! Violet is no threat to take Red from Lala! She would never try to, any more than I would!"

Shelly blushed. "I guess we're too primitive, culturally, compared to you."

There was an awkward pause, then Buddy, who had come up behind them, said, "May I have this dance, Canary?" And seconds later the two of them were on the dance floor, surrounded by sprites.

A few minutes earlier, as she went out of the pavillion, Rainbow looked around. Canary and Shelly were deep in talk, while little Tina had fallen asleep beside her mom. Kids and Sprites were having fun dancing, while Stormy watched Sorrell, and Sorrell glared at everyone. She had hoped the beauty of the night and party would help Sorrell relax, but it didn't seem to do any good. At least he had shown up.

Patty and Wajah were laughing at some joke or other, and Orin was telling another story to a throng of mesmerized Sprites.

"Excuse me, Mistress," said Doris.

Rainbow turned to her.

"Is this...activity...a normal thing?" she asked.

"Yes, it is, Doris," replied Rainbow, don't you have any references or memories about it?"

"Yes, a few, but nothing quite like it. I'm having a good time," she said.

"I'm glad to hear it. It's interesting to talk to you now; it's like talking to myself in a mirror, only to have the image answer," said Rainbow.

"And being mobile is so strange to me, but I see there are advantages," answered the robot.

Rainbow smiled. "Yes, there are. Excuse me, please."

Rainbow left the tent.

Outside, she spotted her friend Brian Senior standing at the edge of the moat, looking up, glass in hand.

"Hi, Brian," she said, coming up to him.

"Hi, Rainbow," he replied, taking a sip of punch.

"Where's Brian?" she asked.

"Krys is giving him a ride on On-X," Brian answered. He pointed at a spot of blue flame moving across the treetops. "There they are," he said.

They watched the distant robot horse and its riders as they moved back and forth across the darkened land.

They stood together looking up at the stars, washed out a bit by the light of the lanterns. The same star-patterns seen on Earth were visible here, distorted very slightly.

"How far from Earth are we?" asked Brian.

"One light-year," answered Rainbow.

"Hmmm...I don't know much about astronomy, but I do know the nearest star is supposed to be four light years away," he said.

Rainbow shook her head. "No, this is it. Our magic keeps it hidden." She looked up at him. "You know about us, so the magic wouldn't work on you. You should be able to see our sun."

"Come to think of it, I have seen a bright yellow star."

"That's it," said Rainbow.

"Where is my sun?" asked Brian.

"Wrong time of year to see it from here," answered Rainbow.

"Oh. How bright would it be?"

"You'd have to ask Violet. She's the expert," was the answer.

"I'm in trouble, then," said Brian, laughing.

"What do you mean?"

"She usually has an answer, but I never understand it!"

Rainbow laughed with him. "Everyone has that problem!"

Brian looked up.

"Moonglo did a great job, tonight," he commented.

"Why thank you, Brian!" said a new voice.

They turned in time to see Moonglo and Nite Sprite appear, accompanied by a tinkling sound.

"I wanted to contribute to the reception," she said, wiping her brow, "Now if you'll excuse me, I want some punch." They headed for the pavillion.

"Are you going to stay for awhile, Brian?"

"Sigh, we can't. We all have to leave right after the ceremonies and council are finished, day after tomorrow."

Rainbow's face fell, and Brian saw it. "We'll come and stay for a week, as soon as we can arrange it."

Rainbow's smile returned. "That would be great!" she said, "We always look forward to your visits."

He looked around. "I've often wished I could live here," he said, wistfully.

"You could, you know," she answered.

"I know. You've made that offer before. But we have family, friends, and obligations back home."

"If you ever change your mind, you'll be welcome!"

"Thank you, Rainbow."

Brian finished his drink, and they headed back to the tent.

Behind the Color Castle, on the other side of the moat, a pair of wide-set red glowing eyes watched them. Within the deeper shadows of a low bush, nothing else of it could be seen. Taking a chance, it moved to the edge of the moat to get a better look, and watched as Brian and Rainbow went back inside. Nobody saw it. Finally it seemed to melt away into the night, and was gone.


	2. Ceremonies

Chapter Two Ceremonies 

The next morning saw Rainbow Brite, the Color Kids, their guests, and many Sprites walking from the Castle to the Color Mine.

The walk was long and slow, and each person thought about Plock, and what he had meant to them as they made their way along the road. The Rainbow River chattered along to the right side of the road, Sprite houses in neat patterns to the left. Then they crossed a bridge, and the River veered back toward the Falls. The roar of the Falls slowly grew louder as they approached the mountain.

The trail climbed the mountain as a series of switchbacks, with a gentle slope between the wide curves. Nobody was out of breath by the end of the journey.

At the top, they passed the main entrance to the caves and finally stopped at the spot where Plock had first arrived. A stone slab had been erected against the side of the hill, and polished brightly. The stone was a local type of granite, with color crystal in the place of the mica flecks that make it sparkle. The rock had been carved with the inscription:

In Memory of Plock

Peddler, Explorer, Friend

On this spot he first arrived in Rainbowland, trying to acquire the Ownership of the Color Caves.

Beneath the slab was a stone table, made of the same type of granite, that was currently empty.

Rainbow turned to the precession behind her, and held up her hands. Silence fell, and all eyes were on her.

"Everyone, it was one year ago today that we first heard of the murder of our friend Plock. That event set in motion a series of events that included finding the Books of Dal, giving us a new friend in Sorrell the Sorcerer..."

Sorrell, surprised at being mentioned, shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"...and ended with the Coal Sack Nebula becoming the Rainbow Nebula, and a planet hidden within it to be made bright and colorful. Today, we have come to honor his memory, this person who began his relationship with us so many years ago as an enemy, trying to get the Color Cave from us by any means possible. But he saw it was wrong, and changed his ways, becoming a close friend to us. We will all miss him."

Rainbow went up to the slab, put a small piece of Color Crystal on it, and paused, looking at the inscription. She smiled, remembering some private moment, then walked back toward the Cave.

Behind her, one at a time, each of the Kids, Sprites, and guests did the same, even Sorrell. Shelly, Tina, and Brian Jr. had come along, but because they had only seen Plock as a cartoon, did not participate.

Since each person spent a moment thinking of Plock, it took most of the morning for everyone who participated to do so. Doris was the last of all.

They left her alone, as she had wished, to think about the one who had given her self-awareness, and whom she had cared for all those years. She looked at all the gifts left on the slab and around it. It was surprising to her that others had cared about him as much as she did. She smiled to herself. The Doris still running the asteroid home would find this a bittersweet experience when she uploaded it. She left her gift, turned, and followed the others.

They all walked slowly back down the trail to the Castle, where lunch awaited.

rbrbrb

On the Princess' Throne World, a ceremony was taking place as well. All of her remaining forces were gathered under the lowest balcony in the castle.

Behind the curtain, the Princess was admiring herself in a mirror. She was dressed in her most regal finery.

"This should fire up our troops, Count," she said, looking at the flash of jewels.

"Yes, your Highness, I don't see how they can fail to be moved by your beauty," he said, while thinking, "Vain child, your day will soon be over."

He glanced at a clock. "It's time, Princess."

The curtain was moved aside by one of the Palace Guard, the tall, heavily armored beings with hidden faces, and the Princess and the Count stepped out on the balcony. They surveyed the forces arrayed below.

In the front were all the Slurthies that could be gathered together. They had fled the Palace when the Jewel was rendered powerless, and it had taken a lot of effort to get them back.

Behind them were the Palace Guardsmen, and to the side was General Zombo, and the other officers of the army.

Next were the Glitterbots, the largest force, standing at attention. Many had been made or repaired by the Builderbots, the short, bullet-shaped robots who had built the fleet. They were taking many of them to set up and run the strip-mining machines that would take the Color Crystal from Rainbowland.

The Princess shook her head. "How small the army is, now," she thought, "But it doesn't matter. With my Jewel, we have the power to take Rainbowland, and get my revenge on Rainbow Brite."

Beyond the army were the regular people of the empire, come to see their Princess as she raised them to new heights of power and glory. Overhead in the cloudless grey sky, the sun gave off heat, and light, but no color.

She raised a hand, and the talk subsided. The only sounds were the dull crash of waves against the foot of the Palace, and the creak of the giant water wheel.

"People of the Empire! I come before you today to announce that our glory days will soon return! My magic Jewel has been restored, the army and fleet rebuilt, and we will soon embark to take revenge on those who brought us so low."

There was some cheering, and she waited a moment for it to subside before continuing.

Our enemies are strong, but we have the will and determination and power to destroy them utterly, and gain their resources for ourselves. Soon, a new era of comfort, peace, and order will begin,  
thanks to the determination and self-sacrifice of everyone!"

The cheering was much louder, and she waited a longer time before being sure she could be heard.

"By this time, the day after tomorrow, our enemies will be crushed, and new planets added to the Empire! And that is only the beginning! Other planets will follow, and bring unprecedented wealth to us all!

"LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!" she shouted, and pointed over the crowd. A pink beam of magic lept from her fingers, soared over everyone, and exploded in a bright pink fireball.

The cheering was deafening.

The army turned smartly to the right, and filed towards the waiting ships.

The Princess disappeared behind the curtain, followed by Count Blogg.

"Well said, Highness," he told her.

"Yes, wasn't it?" she said, once more admiring herself in the mirror. "Well, I will go change, and meet you in the Throne Room."

"Very good, Highness, said Blogg, bowing.

A few minutes later she arrived in the Throne Room, wearing the very same outfit she had worn when Rainbow Brite and Krys had destroyed the Jewel. Blogg was surprised, since she hadn't worn it in many years.

Noticing his gaze, she said, "Yes, I've kept these clothes, because I think it's fitting to beat Rainbow Brite in the same ones she beat me in. How are preparations?"

"All is in readiness, Highness. The flagship is waiting for us."

"Where is the King?" she asked.

"I don't know, Highness; he said he would meet us on Rainbowland."

She went over and picked up the base over which the magic Jewel floated. "Let's go, Blogg," she said, heading out the double doors. Blogg followed.

Inside the flagship, she put the stand down carefully in an otherwise empty compartment, stepped out, and locked the door.

Blogg looked into the ship's bridge. "All secure, Captain, let's be on our way."

"Aye, Count," was the answer, and the ship's engines, which had been idling, roared to new life.

The people on the ground watched as the flagship, followed by the others in stately precession, disappeared through the planet's atmosphere, and were gone.

After lunch was the second ceremony of the day on Rainbowland.

Everyone gathered in the open stadium where the Great Horse Race had happened every Sprite Fair. An open pavillion had been set up in the exact center of the stadium so everyone could get as good a view as possible.

Chairs had been put at the base of the pavillion for the guests, and they all sat down. Sorrell moved his chair a bit away from the others before doing so.

Rainbow and the Color Kids gathered on the pavillion, and lined up in color order behind her. Stormy, Tickled Pink and Moonglo stood beside Red, and Starlite beside them.

In the stands, all of the Sprites had split up by color, and filled the seats, talking excitedly.

Rainbow held up her hands, and the noise subsided. She made a show of looking around carefully.

"Twink?" she called.

There was no answer.

"Has anyone seen Twink?" she asked, loudly.

There was much shaking of heads, and murmurs of 'no'.

"TWINK!" called Rainbow, cupping her hands to her mouth.

"Here I am!" said a voice from the stands. All eyes looked in that direction.

A white Sprite, who had been a toddler a year ago, hopped down the stairs and ran across the field to the pavillion. He ran up the stairs and stopped by Rainbow.

"Hi, Rainbow!" he said.

She looked down at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Twink!" he replied, "I'm the white Sprite who follows Rainbow Brite."

She smiled at him. "Yes, you are!" she said, and reached down and hugged him. He hugged back, then they let go, and he stood beside her, holding hands. The stands erupted in cheers, and they waved to the crowd. Behind them, the Color Kids clapped their hands and Starlite neighed and stood up on his hind legs.

Up in the stands, the white Sprite's parents received the congratulations of other Sprites.

The simple, joyful ceremony over, Sprites poured over the field to see him, and give him gifts. The partying would go on for the rest of the day and night.

Twink had wanted to take up his duties immediately, but of course, no one (including Rainbow) would hear of that. The guests, Kids, and Rainbow stepped off the pavillion and joined the party.

It was a good day.


	3. Council of Peace, Council of War

Chapter Three Council of Peace, Council of War 

Late the next morning saw the pavillion beside the Color Castle put to use once more. Inside a breakfast buffet had been set up, and everyone had their fill before settling down around a couple of tables pulled together.

At the table were Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids, Twink, Brian, Shelly, Krys, Orin, Sorrell, Wajah, and Doris. Nearby were Starlite and On-X. Brian Jr. and Tina were off exploring.

"I want to thank all of you who came here for the ceremonies. At times like this, it's good to have friends share both the sorrow and the joy," said Rainbow by way of beginning.

"I also want to thank Orin for the suggestion to have this council before we go our separate ways," she continued, gesturing at the old Sprite. He nodded in acknowledgement.

"It's rare we have to do something like this, but we all feel it necessary.

Violet, you first, please."

The smartest Color Kid stood up, red-faced and nervous, but wanting to do her part.

"I--ahem--I'm happy to report that the two men who murdered Plock have been caught. They were still in the same city, and hadn't even tried to conceal themselves. But they won't talk about why, and the authorities have been unable to learn who they work for. They will keep us apparaised of any new developements.

The ghost of Plock continues to appear on the asteroid. It is a complete anomaly. Nothing seems to affect it, and it won't communicate. My research has turned up nothing."

"The last time it appeared was this morning," said Doris.

Everyone looked at her. Violet was grateful for the interruption, and sat down, still red-faced.

"That was included in my last routine data exchage," she added, "Along with the message she misses all of you Color Kids."

"We'll come and visit soon," said Rainbow, "Anything else?"

"No, mistress, all systems remain nominal," she answered.

"Orin?" she said, turning to the old Sprite mage.

"Everything is normal on Spectra," he said, "Moonglo, you'll be pleased to hear that the sky is still beautiful, the way you made it."

"Thanks, Orin," Moonglo replied, "I'm glad to see my prediction was right. If it ever does fade, let me know and I'll renew it."

"Thank you," he replied.

"I do have one strange thing to report. Recently it was discovered that the remains of the Glitterbots from the last two battles were gone."

This caused some starts at the table.

"We're sure they were taken away, because there are still many small parts left. If they had been dissolved somehow, there would be nothing left.

Nobody heard or saw anything, but that's not surprising since we piled all the parts together in an unused valley few Sprites ever go to."

"I imagine they were taken by the Princess' forces, to be repaired and added to the rest," said Violet.

"That was my thought as well," said Orin.

"I guess someday we'll learn if that's what happened," said Rainbow, "Thank you, Orin. Anything else?"

The old Sprite shook his head.

"Krys?" she asked, turning to him. He was dressed in his battle armor, but had taken off the helmet.

"On-X and I have made several recon flights by her planet," he reported, "And have seen activity on the surface. It looks like she is building up her forces. I guess we need to be on alert from now on."

"We have lots of volunteers on Spectra," said Orin, "And we've gotten enough ships to get us here if necessary. You can call on us any time, Rainbow, and our army will be here as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Orin," said Rainbow, "And you know you can count on us."

"Mutual defense pact," murmured Brian to Shelly. She nodded.

"Something, Brian?" Rainbow asked, looking at him.

"I was just thinking, what a shame that Rainbowland and Spectra have to have defensive forces," he replied.

She looked sad. "That's true, but we are the protectors of the light and color, and no matter how much we dislike the necessity, we have to be prepared. The forces of dark and gloom are strong, and getting stronger."

"I know, I know," said Brian, laughing, "You don't have to recruit me! I've been listening carefully, and while I'm no military expert, you've done about as much as possible with the resources you have. I just hope it's enough."

"This is all very interesting, I'm sure, but what does it have to do with me?" asked Sorrell.

"When we left your castle, you asked to be kept informed, for when we found Plock's killers. Count Blogg was behind it, and I'm sure you want a chance for some payback."

Sorrell was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he looked into Rainbow's eyes. "Yes, I still do. When, and if, they attack, let me know. I'll come help."

"Thank you," said Rainbow.

"I am sorry, Rainbow Brite," said Wajah, standing up in his chair, "I do not know what I can do. My people cannot help, because mine is the only working space vehicle we have, and it has no weapons."

"It's okay, Wajah, we'll think of something if you really want to help," said Rainbow.

"I really do," replied the alien.

Rainbow looked around the table, where everyone was looking back at her.

"Anybody have anything else?" she asked.

There was only silence, and the chirping of birds, until Violet hesitantly held up her hand.

"I found these," she said, tossing two small silver objects on the table "One was on the generator for the Monstromurk's magnetic field. I found the other attached to Doris."

"What are they?" asked Brian.

"Bombs," said Violet, then added, "Remote activated. They must have been left when whoever stole that multicolor crystal was in the lab. I'll dispose of them when we're finished here."

"Good work, Violet," said Rainbow, "I think you've spoiled somebody's plans. Anything else?"

She looked around the tent.

"Then I declare this meeting over. Thank you all for coming. Twink, go tell the Sprites they can serve lunch now."

The Princess stepped through a hatch opened by one of the Palace Guard and into the Conference Room on the flagship. Inside, Blogg, General Zombo, and a couple of other officers waited for her.

"Good morning, Highness," said Blogg, "I trust you slept well?"

The Princess glared at him, "No, the vibrations kept me awake all night. I look a mess, and I want to be perfect when I tell that little brat what's going to happen to her and her precious planet."

"Er, ah, have some breakfast, Highness," said Blogg, gesturing at a table laden with food and drink.

"Oh, very well, get me something to eat, and tell me what your plans are."

Blogg turned to a servant. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he shouted, "Get the Princess some breakfast!"

The servant scurried over to the table, and in a minute handed her a plate. She took it and turned to the Situation Table. This was showing a computer-generated hologram of the area around the Color Castle.

"As you can see, Highness, Count, this is the target," began General Zombo, gesturing at the model. "We've had it under survellience for months, taking sensor readings of the landforms,  
vegetation, placement of buildings, and so on in order to create the best possible plan of attack."

"Did your sensor readings include the size and placement of the Color Crystal veins?" asked Blogg.

"Yes, sir," replied Zombo. He tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and the picture suddenly shifted, rising up to show a mineralogical map. The full extent of Crystal available there became clear.

There were exclamations of surprise.

"According to estimates, there is enough there to power the present fleet for thousands of years."

"Which makes taking Rainbowland an even higher priority," said Blogg, "Are there any other deposits on the planet?"

"No, sir. Sensors clearly indicate this is the only place, unless it is deeper than our sensors can read."

"Then when we've mined what we can we'll blow up the planet and get the rest!" said the Princess, and laughed.

"The Color Crystal prevents our sensors from mapping the inside of the mines, so all we know about the layout is what you were able to report," said Zombo, returning the map to its original view.

"As far as we can determine, they have no conventional weaponry. The area is open, and vunerable to any type of attack."

"Color-based instrumentation is surprisingly effective as weapons, General," said Blogg, "You know that from personal experience. Don't think otherwise just because they aren't used that way very often..."

"That Rainbow Brat's Belt drained my Jewel, disarmed my Guards, blinded the Slurthies, and tore open the doors to the Throne Room," interrupted the Princess, "And when we went to Rainbowland, she shocked me with it. I want that Belt, General. Added to the power of the Jewel,  
I'll be invincible!"

Both Blogg and Zombo found that thought frightening, but wisely neither said anything.

"We've run probability simulations, and based on them and the gloom weapons found in the Pits, plus the help of the King of Shadows,predict a 95 percentprobability of success," said Zombo.

"Explain your plan of attack, General," said Blogg.

"Since your Highness expressed a desire to speak to Rainbow Brite first, the flagship will land here, behind this hill near the Color Castle.

When you two are finished, ships will fly overhead, releasing Gloom Cloud. We have been unable to identify any factories, warehouses, communications centers from photos, nor have our spies found any. So either such things don't exist and they import everything, or their technology is so different we just don't recognize them. Considering the high technology of the Belt and Castle, our analysts are inclined to think the latter. We do have the position of Shy Violet's laboratory, and the library, and they are on the 'do not destroy' list."

"Show me," said Blogg, looking at the model.

Again Zombo tapped some keys, and lables appeared by two Sprite houses next to each other. Blogg studied the map, and said,

"Yes, those are the correct ones. Good work, General."

"Our laser flyers will target the Color Castle and random Sprite houses," continued Zombo.

"Be careful," said the Princess, "We'll need all the Sprites to work the mines."

"The soldiers have been cautioned, Highness," said Zombo, "Has your Majesty any orders concerning your brother?"

"What? Is Krys there?" said the Princess, sharply.

"Yes, Highness. They are holding parties at the Color Castle."

"Then be VERY sure your men understand my brother is NOT to be killed!" she said, pointing at Zombo and bringing a pink glow to her fingertips. "Capture him early, and keep him safe!"

"Of--of course, your Highness.

The Slurthies will be sent in to control the captured Sprites, and the Glitterbots to capture Rainbow Brite and her Color Kids. And your brother.

We expect to have Rainbowland under control within eight hours of landing. Containing the fires and other hazards will take some time, and we plan to have the Builderbots assemble the machines and begin the strip-mining within a few days."

"And I can have my revenge on her," said the Princess, and laughed.

"This is a good plan, General," said Blogg, "You are to be commended."

"Thank you, Count," answered Zombo, bowing slightly.

The Princess' fleet drove on through space towards Rainbowland.


	4. Assault on Rainbowland

Chapter Four Assault on Rainbowland 

After breakfast the next morning, Brian and his family gathered outside the Color Castle to say goodbyes.

"Like I said, Rainbow, we'll be back in a couple of weeks," said Brian Sr.

"Good!" answered Rainbow, "I always miss you and your family when you're not around."

"Daaaad, why can't I stay?" asked Brian Jr.

"Sorry, son. We all need to make an appearence at your aunt's wedding," was the answer.

"Awww..." said Brian, but subsided.

"Canary, it was good seeing you again," said Shelly.

"You too," answered the cheerful Color Kid, "And you'll be back soon, so maybe we can take that camping trip into the mountains."

"I'll try to remember to bring our camping gear," said Shelly.  
She shifted Tina against her shoulder. The child was crying, not wanting to leave.

Canary gestured, and Shelly put her down.

"Hey, Tina, I know you'll miss us, and we'll miss you too," Canary told her, "But think how happy you'll be when you see us again!"

Tina quit crying, and thought about what Canary was saying. Then she flung her arms around her and started again. She was almost as tall as Canary, so it was easy for her to do so.

"Tina, every time you see a rainbow, think of us here in Rainbowland. And if you see yellow, think of me. And know that I'll be here when you come back."

Tina let go of Canary, who smiled at her. She tentatively smiled back, and took her mom's hand.

The family stood together, with Orin and Wajah, Krys, Doris and On-X there to see them off, as well as all the Color Kids but Moonglo, who was sleeping from her night's work.

Rainbow touched the star on the Color Belt, and the rainbow appeared under the family's feet, and carried them upwards. Everyone waved goodbye, and they were gone. The rainbow faded away.

"I need to get back to Spectra," said Orin, turning to Rainbow, so Krys and I will be taking our leave as well."

"Thank you for coming, Orin, Krys. I think we're as ready as we'll ever be when the Princess tries something."

"Whenever you need us, just call!" said Krys.

They stepped over to a waiting On-X.

Orin started to say something, when the robot horse interjected, "Danger! Whinney! Danger!"

They looked around, but saw nothing.

"What is it, On-X?" asked Krys.

"There Is A Star-Ship Ar-riv-ing," answered On-X, "It will Be Here Ve-ry Short-ly."

Sure enough, the sound of a rocket engine suddenly became audible. They all looked up, and saw a small black speck rapidly growing larger. It seemed to be slowing, and when the landing gear lowered, it became apparent it was landing behind a nearby hill.

"Anybody recognize that design?" asked Red.

"Yes, it's my sister's flagship," said Krys, "That's what she was in when she attacked Spectra last year. See the emblem on the side?"

"Sigh," said Red, "I thought it was her, I was just hoping I was wrong."

"Be ready for anything," called Rainbow.

The Kid's Sprites were coming up and handing them Starsprinkles for use if necessary. The other Sprites were taking shelter in their homes. Sorrell, who had been inside the Castle, came out to see what the noise was about. It had awakened Moonglo, and she came out as well, still yawning.

"What's going on?" asked Twink.

"It's what we talked about yesterday, Twink," said Rainbow, "The Princess is probably going to attack us."

"Oh," said Twink, and moved a bit closer to her.

"Give me some Starsprinkles, please," she said, and the white Sprite did so.

The flagship had landed, the noise of the engines fading away. Birds chirped rather hesitantly, then resumed their normal noise level.

Suddenly, from over the hill came the Princess, with Count Blogg following a yard or two behind her. She stopped when she saw them all, then turned and took a white flag from Blogg. She approached, and stopped a few yards away. The flag flapped in the breeze.

"Rainbow Brite, I'm going to take everything I want from you. Your Color Belt, the Color Crystal, and your life," she said. "We are going to strip-mine this planet, and get all of the Color Crystal. My fleets will be invincible."

Rainbow did not answer, but looked at the Princess calmly.

The silence grew deafening, as Rainbow made no move, and said nothing. The Princess looked at her brother.

"You should come back with me, Krys," she told him, "You are in danger if you stay here."

"You just try anything," answered Krys, "And I'll stop you."

The Princess laughed. "I don't think so, this time," she said, and held up her hand. A pink glow appeared around her fingers.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble?" asked Rainbow.

"Yeah," chimed in Twink.

"ME cause trouble!" said the Princess, "I'M a Princess! I can do anything I want to. YOU are nothing but a little brat who tried to keep me from what I wanted, and got lucky once. Well, it won't happen again because I'm going to destroy you, and all your friends."

She looked at Krys again. "This is your last chance, brother. Come back with me, or die with them."

Krys took one step closer to Rainbow.

A long silence, then the Princess muttered, "So be it."

She raised her arm, and a pink flash burst upwards. Then she turned her back on them, and walked with dignity towards the waiting Count Blogg and General Zombo.

"I wonder what that flash was about," said Tickled Pink.

"I don't know. Nothing good, I imagine," answered Rainbow.

"Don't worry, Rainbow, I'm here, and I'll stand by you," said Krys, taking his eyes off his sister and looking at his friend.

"Thank you, Krys," said Rainbow.

Suddenly there were five sonic booms overhead. They turned and looked over the Color Cave's mountain. Five ships flew in formation over it, trailing thick, heavy smoke behind them. As they disappeared over the other horizon, the smoke drifted down towards the Castle. It was a dirty brown color, and cut off almost all the daylight. It settled down around them, a terrible stench with it.

They all coughed, trying to get a good breath.

"G--gloom c--cloud!" said Violet, gagging.

Rainbow touched the star on the Color Belt, and the rainbow appeared, but dimly. It didn't have any effect on the cloud. It thinned away by itself, the smell growing weaker as it spread out. More sunlight managed to penetrate the gloom, but it was still dim.

Suddenly Buddy gasped. "Rainbow! Look!" He pointed to where the Princess and Count Blogg stood. Standing with them in the gloom was the King of Shadows, huge and menacing in his ragged cloak, eyes bright with hatred.

The sound of other ships landing grew louder, but in the gloom nothing could be seen.

Rainbow turned to Wajah. "Take Orin with you, go to Spectra, and bring back help," she said.

"Right away, Rainbow Brite," said the little alien, "Come along, old one, we need to go now."

"You're right, Wajah," said Orin.

They headed towards Wajah's saucer, parked beside Sorrell's.

They never got there. A bolt of pink energy suddenly flashed their way, and they were turned to crystal where they stood. The Princess laughed.

Suddenly out of the woods came Glitterbots. They trampled through the plants, crushing anything in their way. The hypnoray flashed, catching Sprites that had stayed out to watch whatever was going on.

Without a word, several of the Color Kids and their Sprites flew up on their color stripes, and attacked the tall golden robots, sending colored light beams into their eyes.

But something was wrong. It didn't seem to work. Not a single Glitterbot was affected. They continued to advance. The Kids gave it up, and returned to the others.

The hypnotized Sprites were ordered to move out of the way, and sit down. They did so, and Slurthies came out of the ground, surrounding them.

Patty stood stunned. Slurthies. The things that had taken her over, and forced her to betray Rainbow. She had a more independent personality than any of the other Color Kids, and that had been a horrible experience for her, being enslaved by such a creature.

More Glitterbots appeared, and began to surround them. They were accompanied by Slurthies.

Her anger blazed, and a green aura began to glow around her. This time it was a pure, bright color. The very sight of the black, squat creatures was so emotionally charged to her, she could hardly see them through the haze of red in front of her eyes.

She raised her hands, and the green glow moved around them, glowing brighter, and brighter. She was going to attack the Slurthies with her green light to break them up, and disorient them, giving the Sprites a chance to escape. Suddenly she realized she couldn't aim at the Slurthies surrounding the Sprites, because she would also affect the Sprites, and confuse them, preventing any escape. And that frustration just added emotional fuel to the fire.

She looked around at where the Glitterbots were, crashing through the trees, trampling the plants with no regard for any living thing that might be under foot. She could almost feel the pain of the trees as the giant robots shoved them aside, cracking off branches, and breaking trunks. Rainbowland was being casually destroyed by these things.

It was all too much. Gloom cloud choking everyone, plants and trees being destroyed, chaos and terror visited upon the peaceful and friendly Sprites.

A sudden movement caught her eye, and she watched a Slurthie engulf a Sprite. Exactly what had happened to her in the dull forest on the Nebula Planet. Then the memories came back, of being a prisoner in her own mind, watching helplessly as her body was controlled like a puppet, forced to lie to Rainbow, and betray her.

Suddenly she screamed in rage and pointed, and an emerald line of light the diameter of a pencil left her fingers, so bright everyone was momentarily blinded. She swept the beam across the line of Glitterbots who had come out of the trees, leaving paths of destruction in their wake.

Where the laser touched, a Glitterbot was instantly melted, falling in two sections with molten metal on the edges. Trees were cut in two, catching on fire as they fell. Blogg, the Princess, and Zombo hit the grass. The King vanished.

As her scream of rage ended, so did the laser. It wasn't easy to see in the gloom, especially with the additonal smoke from burning, but damage to the Princess's forces was considerable. Dozens of Glitterbots had been destroyed, or at least severely damaged.

Patty fell to her knees, panting heavily. After a moment she stood up, and aimed at the Slurthies. They all melted into the ground, leaving the Sprites unattended. Many of the Sprites stood motionless, hypnotized. The rest were stunned at the display of power, especially the green Sprites in the crowd. She looked at Lucky, gestured towards them, and gasped, "Tell them to run."

Her favorite Sprite stared at her for a moment, then understood. He cupped his mouth with his hands, and shouted "RUN!" at them. Those that could, did so. The hypnorayed Sprites stayed.

Her rage had worn off, and Patty dropped her hands, and sat back down, heavily.

"How did you do that, Patty?" asked Buddy, eyes wide. He knelt beside her and put his arm around her.

With an effort, Patty raised her hands again and looked at them. Nothing seemed different.

"I-I'm not sure," she said, still panting, "When I...saw those Slurthies...I got so mad, it...it just happened."

A new noise was heard, and flyers with soldiers aboard came over the trees. Lasers were fired at the Color Castle, and Sprite houses came under attack. The Sprites inside ran out, and were running in all directions, completely panicked. The remaining Glitterbots began using their hypnoray again.

"Quick, everyone, inside the Castle!" shouted Rainbow, and the Kids and Sprites headed that way. Buddy stood up. He reached down to help Patty up, and she grabbed his hand and pulled herself up.

"That was incredible," said Buddy, as he helped her stay on her feet by putting an arm around her waist, "I didn't know we could do that."

"I don't recommend it," she gasped, "It's really draining. But I feel better, now." She held on to him as they headed after the others.

They were the last two to enter the Castle. Violet was at the Color Console, making adjustments. Colors ran up the Column, and the globe flashed.

"Are we all here?" said Rainbow in a loud voice. She turned in a circle, and confirmed all the Color Kids and their favorite Sprites were there. Sorrell, Krys, On-X, Starlite, and Doris had come inside as well.

"See if it worked," called Violet to Buddy, who was standing by the door. Patty was sitting on the floor, sweating heavily.

"What?" he asked.

"Open the door," replied Violet.

He did so, and was surprised to see a rainbow wall just outside. A laser bolt from a passing air car struck the wall, and splashed harmlessly. Startled, he stepped back. If the wall hadn't been there, it would have been Buddy's end.

"What did you do, Violet?" asked Rainbow.

"I set up the color signal to act as a barrier to the laser bolts, and surrounded the Castle with it," she answered.

"Good work," said Rainbow, and turned to Patty, "You too."

"Thanks, Rainbow," said Patty, and smiled weakly, "I wish I could have done that to those Slurthies."

"It wouldn't have done any more good than our normal light does," said Violet, "All we can do is break them up into smaller creatures."

"Right", said Red, "We're safe for the moment, but what are we going to do? We can't stay in here forever. The longer we do, the more the Princess takes over Rainbowland."

Rainbow looked at him. "It's not going to happen, Red," she said, "We'll find a way to beat her."

"Right," he answered, but doubt was on his face.


	5. A Hidden Danger Revealed

Chapter Five A Hidden Danger Revealed 

Atop the hill, the Princess, Blogg, the King, and General Zombo watched as the Rainbow Brat and her gang beat a hasty retreat into the Castle. Then a rainbow wall appeared, stopping their laser attack.

The Princess launched a spell, but it broke harmlessly against the wall. Blogg tried one of his own, and had no better success.

The Princess looked up at the King of Shadows. "Well, are you going to send a spell?"

"No, it is not yet my time," said the King.

General Zombo issued an order, and the flyer's laser attack ceased. He turned towards his superiors.

"We might as well not waste the energy," he said, "They have only limited resources, and that wall won't last forever."

"It will be down quicker than you think, General," said the King, amusement in his voice.

"How so, sir?" asked Zombo.

"You'll see. I had a surprise for them set up for over a year ago, just in case they barracaded themselves in the Castle," he answered.

"Very good, sir," answered Zombo, and turned back to direct the Sprite captures.

"How could you know what they would do?" asked the Princess.

"Because I am far older and wiser than you. I have seen many, many battles, and know how those who follow the Light will act," he replied.

"And did you expect that girl to have a LASER?" she retorted.

The King was silent for a second, controlling his anger. 'Patience,' he told himself, 'This bratty child will get what she deserves.'

"No," he finally admitted, "I did not expect that. From their expressions, they didn't expect it either."

Zombo turned back to them. "Can we expect more such attacks, sir?" he asked.

"I don't think so. That was a one-shot event, brought about by anger. It was clearly very draining to her. But be warned, they won't forget they can do that."

"Yes, sir," said Zombo.

"I have a surprise for them, too," said Blogg. He pulled out a control box, and pressed a button.  
CRUMP! went a sound, and a wave of water in the moat suddenly rose up and splashed harmlessly.

Surprised, Blogg pushed a second button. CRUMP! A second wave just a foot from the first rose and fell.

"They must have found the bombs I left on the Monstromurk's generator, and that robot," he said, tossing the control aside.

Inside the Color Castle, a hasty Council of War was taking place. Indigo, Lala, and Tickled Pink had gone into the Keeps to watch out the windows what was happening. They sent their Sprites back to the others with reports at regular intervals.

"Look," said Stormy, "I'm tired of this. Quit talking, and let's ACT! Let me out there, and I'll take care of them with a hurricane!"

"And do more damage to Rainbowland then they are," said Krys, interrupting.

Stormy glared at him, but said nothing.

"He's right, Stormy," said Violet, "You'll have to use your powers selectively, like you did on Spectra."

Stormy started to protest, then subsided when she realized the truth of Violet's words.

"Krys, since Wajah and Orin are turned to crystal, will you and On-X go to Spectra, and get help?"

"But..." he said.

"You're the only one who can. On-X can deliver a message, but you need to be there to organize the help and lead it back."

"I want to stay here," he said, "I've got the Prism, and surely my sister wouldn't kill me."

"Don't count on that, Krys," said Red, "You heard what she said. You'll be a causalty of war."

"It's sad to say, but she will sacrifice you to get control of Rainbowland," said Canary.

"I agree," said Starlite, "You need to go, and quickly."

"I won't abandon you all," said Krys, forcefully, tears springing up in his eyes.

"You're not abandoning us, Krys, you're going on a very important mission, one that may save us all," said Rainbow.

"Okay, okay, I'll go," said Krys, giving up a losing battle.

"I Re-quest A Full Re-charge Be-fore We Leave," said On-X.

"Good idea, On-X," said Patty, finishing off a glass of water Buddy had brought her. Her strength was mostly restored. From her dispenser she filled a bucket with green Starsprinkles, and brought them over to the robot horse, while Krys had lifted the saddle to put them in.

In the middle of putting in the Starsprinkles, Krys paused and looked at Rainbow.

"Is Orin...and Wajah...are they going to be okay?" he asked.

"I don't know, Krys," she answered, "I hope so."

"The Jewel should be able to restore them," said Sorrell, speaking up for the first time, "She's turned several of the Sprites to crystal, too, and if she wants them to work in the Color Cave, she'll have to reverse the spell."

Krys looked at Sorrell and smiled. "Thanks!" he said.

Sorrell turned away, muttering something under his breath that sounded like 'you're welcome' to Twink, who was standing near the wizard.

Krys topped off the tank of water inside On-X, and closed the saddle. "Ready to go," he said.

"We'd better find out what's going on," said Rainbow.

Just then, the three Kids who had been watching the enemy ran back into the room.

"Rainbow, they've given up attacking the Castle with the lasers, and are now concentrating on capturing the Sprites," said Tickled Pink.

"We need to save the Sprites!" said Twink.

"We will, Twink," said Rainbow, "We need a plan, right now."

"I need to rest some more," said Patty, sitting down in her chair at the Color Console. Buddy handed her a refilled glass.

"We have some time, since we're safe here," said Rainbow, "So let's get some rest while we can. Be thinking of what we are going to do when we leave. Krys, you know what you're going to do."

"Uh huh," he said, "I know you're right, but I don't have to like it. I'll leave now."

He hopped aboard On-X, who fired up his rockets, and moved next to the door. Violet stood next to the Color Console, ready to briefly turn off the rainbow shield, so they could leave. Red opened the door, and wished them good luck.

Krys looked around at his friends. "I'll be back with help as soon as I can."

"Turning off...NOW!" said Violet, hitting a star-shaped button on her panel. The shield vanished, and On-X headed out the door. When they were over the bridge, she turned it back on.

On-X increased thrust, and started towards space, to find his way blocked by several ships. No matter how he manoevered, they were in his way, firing tractor beams to capture him. But On-X's greater manoeverability prevented that. He headed into the forest, ships overhead, and flyers in hot persuit.

Rainbow and the others were watching through the windows.

"Oh, dear," said Lala.

"SURRENDER!" came the amplified voice of Count Blogg, loud even through the walls of the Castle. "WE HAVE CAPTURED THE SPRITES, AND HAVE THE CASTLE SURROUNDED."

"Don't worry, they can't get through the shield, or they wouldn't try such a feeble ploy," said Violet.

"It is kind of silly," said Moonglo.

"ATTENTION, INSIDE THE COLOR CASTLE: JO'D-EEH, CHO!" came the voice again.

"What was that he said?" asked Patty, cocking her head and wrinkling her brow.

"I don't know," said Rainbow, "I've never heard that language before."

"WE WILL TELL YOU," said several familiar voices together,

"HE TOLD US TO END THIS STANDOFF, NOW!"

Rainbow turned, and saw Red, Lala, Canary, Buddy, and Violet standing around the Color Console, surrounding it.

"AND WHAT THE COUNT TELLS US TO DO, WE DO," said all five Kids, mouthing the words together.

Rainbow, Patty, Indigo, Stormy, Moonglo, and Tickled Pink all were staring back, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, it dawned on Patty. "They all have a Slurthie inside!" she shouted.

"Oh, great!" said Sorrell, "I should have thought of that."

"CORRECT," said the Kids, "WE HAVE BEEN INSIDE THESE KIDS SINCE WE BEAT THEM IN THE FOREST OF THE NEBULA PLANET. WE TRIED TO GET THE REST OF YOU, BUT FAILED."

The affected Color Kids turned their attention from the others to the Color Console. They raised their hands and pointed.

Five colored lasers flashed, and with a loud sizzle and the smell of burning metal, the Console was reduced to scrap. The Kids suddenly wobbled and fell to their knees, exausted.

Outside, the rainbow shield flickered, and went out. Rainbow touched the star on the Color Belt, and the rainbow emerged, wrapping up the Kids, who were too tired to fight.

The Slurthies flowed out of them, and with a loud and sickening plop, landed on the floor, too tired to flee.

Patty's anger blazed again, and she started to gesture at them, when Rainbow put a hand on her shoulder. She whispered in Patty's ear, and Patty nodded.

Instead of slicing the creatures into smaller ones, which is what normally happened when light hit them, she put color on them instead. With a keening sound, the Slurthies writhed, then dried up to dust.

The now-freed Color Kids began to recover from the effects of lasing, and struggled to their feet. The Slurthies had had to use their own energy, so the Kids were not as drained as Patty had been.

"We're sorry, Rainbow," said Lala, "We didn't even know they were in us. Patty, now that I know what you went through, I understand your anger."

Patty nodded. "I'm sorry you all had to experience that."

"That was so horrible!" said Canary, crying. "It goes against everything we are, everything we believe. To know we can be taken and controlled so easily..."

Indigo hugged her, crying herself.

Rainbow was saddened inside, but couldn't allow herself to show it right now.

"We won't be able to stay here much longer with the shield down," said Rainbow, changing the subject.

Seeing that the sheild was down, the fliers turned and once again aimed their lasers at the Castle.

Inside the Castle, the Kids watched as hot spots from the laser fire formed on the walls. The light burst through, melting holes in the walls.

"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted Red, and ran through the open door. He was followed by the others back into the horror of war, where green and peace were just memories.

Across the moat, they turned and watched as the Color Castle, their home for millenia, was reduced to a smoking ruin, some of the wooden things inside catching fire and adding to the smoke.

Just then, Krys, still aboard On-X flew over them at treetop level. The flyers gave chase, firing their laser cannons at him. He still couldn't go up because of the ships overhead.

One flyer stayed behind, and turned its laser down toward the Kids. Doris noted it, and ran towards the Kid it was aimed at.

Just as the cannon fired, Doris pushed Stormy out of the way.

"HEY!" shouted Stormy, as she tried to keep her balance, failed, and whacked her head against a rock, knocking her cold.

The beam of energy hit the robot squarely, burning a hole through her, and releasing electricity into her framework. The computer brain was instantly fried, and arcs flashed around the limbs. The white dress with rainbow trim caught fire, and it collapsed, burning.

"DORIS!" shouted Rainbow. She touched the star on the Belt, and the rainbow soared up, swatting the flyer out of the sky like a fly.

Violet put her hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "Don't worry, you know she didn't die. She's not even here, really." Violet knew her words were cold, but she hoped the reminder would prevent their leader from breaking down.

"Oh, yeah..." said Rainbow, clamping down hard on her emotions. "Let's check on Stormy."

Canary and Buddy looked her over. "She'll be okay," said Canary, relieved at having something to do and keep her mind off of the horror of a few minutes ago. "I'm afraid she's not going to be of any help for a while."

Stormy, who was arguably the most powerful Kid, had been saved from death, but taken out of the fight. It was one more score to settle with the Princess.

They hid her behind some rocks, and Sorrell cast a spell to hide her. Then they turned, and brought the fight back to the invaders.


	6. Betrayal and Sacrifice

Chapter Six Betrayal and Sacrifice 

In the deepening gloom, the Princess, Count Blogg, and the King of Shadows stood on a hill, watching the defeat of the forces of Light. A little way down the hill, closer to the action, General Zombo stood, the headset built into his uniform extended, directing the action.

"That's it!" cried the Princess, "Catch thoses Sprites! We need them to work in the mine!"

The General murmured an order into the mike, and two of the Glitterbots turned and set off in pursuit of several fleeing Sprites.

Sorrell was doing his best, but his weakness in mechanical spells proved his undoing. His magic protected him from attacks by Count Blogg or the Princess, and any Slurthie or Palace Guard that came near he turned into an animal, but his spells had no effect on the Glitterbots. They finally captured him with their rope dispensers, and the Guardsmen quickly had him unable to move.

The Color Kids, freed of the Slurthies, proved harder to subdue. following Rainbow's example to Patty, they put color on the squat black creatures, instead of breaking them up with a color beam. Like salt on a slug, the color caused a Slurthie to shrivel up and fall to dust.

Even though the light in the eyes trick didn't work on the Glitterbots any more, changing the color of the protective faceplate made it harder for the robots to see and find their way around. But even then, by shooting rope in all directions, they entangled the Kids, and the Guardsmen would tie them. One of the

Glitterbots had found Stormy, and brought her back to the others. She was tied like the rest, even though she was still woozy from the hard knock on the head.

Back at the top of the hill, a Slurthie oozed out of the bushes, and waved at Blogg when the Princess wasn't looking. He saw it, and nodded. The Slurthie disappeared behind the bush.

"Excuse me, my Princess, a spy wishes to report," he said, bowing slightly.

"Don't bother me with details, Blogg," she answered, "I'm having too much fun!"

"Don't let that green one get away!" she shouted, and launched a pink beam at the Sprite. It struck, turning the hapless Sprite to crystal. The Princess laughed.

Blogg went over to the bush and slipped behind it. The Slurthie was waiting for him.

"So, what do you have for me?" he asked.

It moved aside to reveal a cannister like the one Blogg had stolen from Violet's lab a year earlier. He opened it, to reveal a baseball-sized multicolor crystal. The colors flashed, even in the gloom.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed, and put the top back on. "You are dismissed. See me after the war, and I will reward you handsomely."

"THANK YOU, COUNT," it said, and melted away.

"And if you believe that," the Count thought to himself, "I have some beachfront property inside the Color Cave to sell you."

Count Blogg picked up the cannister, and headed for the flagship. Outside the main hatch, the magic Jewel sat on its pedistal, glowing brightly. It flashed once in a while, feeding energy to the Princess for her spells.

He put the cannister down, reopened it, and mentally reviewed what the King of Shadows had told him. When the Princess had re-energized the Jewel, at the same time it was attuned to her command. By performing the same spell again, the new energy would "push out" hers, and it would be attuned to him. The King had warned him to be sure and touch the Jewel with the Color Crystal first, or he would get a nasty shock.

"This is it," he thought, "After all this time, the power of the Jewel will be mine! As a well-accomplished magician already, I will put it to good use! Maybe I'll keep the Princess around as a slave to work in the mines! It's what she deserves! The empire will be mine! I'll set in motion the timetables for conquest I worked out years ago! I'll conquer planets, and add their populations to my armies! Any who resist, I'll grind under my heel!"

He looked down at the Jewel, floating above its base. "And it all starts now."

He got the color crystal out of its cannister, and carefully touched it to the Jewel. Nothing happened. He gingerly touched the Jewel with his fingers, and again, nothing happened. Gaining confidence,  
he mentally recited the spell, and concentrated, willing the energy of the color crystal into the Jewel. The end of the crystal farthest from the Jewel began to dissolve, and energy flowed. Blogg gasped,  
as the Jewel suddenly 'noticed' him, but kept his place.

On top of the hill, the Princess' fun was suddenly interrupted by a strange feeling. She looked around, but saw only the triumph of her forces. The King was watching as well, and paying no attention to her. The feeling got stronger.

"What was it?" she wondered. It was so strange. It almost felt like...like when her brother Krys and that Rainbow Brite had destroyed the Jewel. She thought about it, and the more she did,  
the righter it seemed. Something was wrong with the Jewel! She looked around again. Where was Blogg?

She turned and ran toward the flagship. The King turned and watched her go, amused. She would discover what was wrong, soon enough.

She arrived at the clearing, to find Blogg had nearly completed the spell.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she shouted.

"Too late, Princess!" said Blogg, surrounded by a pink aura. The last bit of the color crystal disappeared from his fingers. "The Jewel is mine!"

"You...you TRAITOR!" she hissed, "I will destroy you for this!"

"You will do nothing, my ex-Princess! For years I have taken your abuse, and now it's my turn!"

He threw back his arms, and gathered power from the Jewel. The Princess covered her eyes from the brightness.

"No, Blogg, you don't know what you've done!" she shouted.

Blogg laughed. "How pitiful!" he said, and laughed again. He raised his hand and pointed toward her. The pink glow gathered around his fingers.

Suddenly, with a sound like fingernails on a blackboard ending with glass breaking, the Jewel was suddenly criss-crossed with fine black cracks.

Blogg and the Princess looked at it, and the cracks widened, allowing a blindingly bright pink light to escape.

Blogg wrinkled his brow. "What...?"

"No..." whispered the Princess, and turned to run.

With a loud BANG! the magic Jewel exploded, turning instantly into uncounted pieces finer than the finest dust. A bright pink magic vortex was left swirling, and it began to draw into itself. Caught in the wild magic, Blogg and the Princess were pulled into it, and disappeared, their wails of terror echoing from the hills. A second later, nothing was left of the Jewel save the fine dust, drifting away in the wind.

From a safe distance, the King of Shadows had watched as the two were destroyed, as he had intended.

"Ah, Blogg, it was your own greed and lust for power that did you in," he thought, "And now, our bargain is at an end. Besides, in the right hands, the Jewel could have been used against me. And we can't have that, can we?"

He turned back to the battle.

Rainbow worked her way across the battlefield, getting more worried by the minute. "Twink?" she called, looking around, but was unable to catch sight of the young white Sprite in all the chaos. There he was! The Sprite had his back to Rainbow, and was walking with a purposeful stride toward the King of Shadows! She ran toward them.

"Hey! You!" shouted Twink.

The King looked at the Sprite.

The gaze of the King was very intimidating, but Twink was determined to show Rainbow he had courage. He held his ground.

"Go away!" he yelled, shaking a fist, "Look at all the damage you've caused!"

"TWINK! NO!" shouted Rainbow, running faster.

The King looked surprised. "Do you think you can stop me?" he asked, "A young, tiny creature like yourself?"

"I'm going to try!" replied Twink, and strode toward the King. The King of Shadows raised his hand and pointed at Twink.

"Die, now," he said, and a blackness appeared around his fingers.

"I WON'T LET YOU DO THAT!" shouted Rainbow, stepping in front of Twink. She touched the star on the Color Belt, and it sparkled, but did nothing else.

"ENERGY DEPLETED," reported the Belt, mentally.

The King lowered his hand, the spell unsent.

"Once again we meet, Rainbow Brite, but this time it will be different," said the King. "Your helpers are captured, the Castle destroyed, the Sprites fled. Your last moments have arrived." He gestured at the destruction around them. "Look upon the end of the color and light, and despair."

She looked around. A waiting silence had fallen. The Color Kids and Sorrell sat together, surrounded by the Princess' Palace Guard, who had bound them in Glitterbot rope cinched cruelly tight.

She noted that Krys had still not been captured.

The Sprites that had been captured were huddled together, Slurthies keeping the ones not hypnotized from running away. The smoking, blackened pile of metal that was all that remained of Doris caught her attention.

The ruins of the Color Castle, the trees that were on fire, the melted remains of Glitterbots, the burning Sprite houses were all testimony to the fact the war was lost. All eyes were on the two of them, even the few remaining Glitterbots. They all knew this was the pivotal point in the war. The next few seconds would decide the fate of the rainbows of the future.

Rainbow turned back to face the King.

"Despair? NEVER!" she shouted.

"How can you fight me? Your power is gone! Die now, and take your accursed colors with you!"

"The light and color and happiness will always exist, and I will fight you to preserve them!" She stepped in front of Twink again, and threw out her arms to shield him.

And the King of Shadows laughed. The very sound of it shook the ground of Rainbowland. As he did so, the gloom gathered closer to him, until all that could be seen were his glowing eyes, filled with hatred for her and all she stood for.

He pointed, and darkness ran down his arm and across the distance separating them, and hit her squarely in the chest. Nothing seemed to happen.

She glanced down at Twink, and the look on his face froze her gaze. He was looking back up at her with loathing and contempt.

"Twink? What's wrong?" she asked.

"You are," he replied, and kicked her.

Shocked, she stepped back. Twink stuck out his tongue at her.

"Why don't you just die? You're a useless failure." He ran away.

She looked toward the Color Kids. All of them were staring at her with anger, and Sorrell's expression seemed as though he was looking at the most loathsome slime that could exist.

"YOU HAVE FAILED!" they all said in unison, "WE ABANDON YOU. YOU ARE NOT RAINBOW BRITE, YOU ARE WISP. A WISP OF SMOKE IN OUR EYES. YOU ARE WEAK AND USELESS. THE RAINBOW HAS LOST ITS POWER, AND IT'S YOUR FAULT. OUR DEATHS ARE ON YOUR HANDS." And they turned their backs on her.

Black despair filled her heart and soul, destroying hope, and even the memories of color and joy. She fell to her knees on the grass, crying. She closed her eyes and thought, "They are right, I can't fight any more. I am alone. I may as well die. He's won."

Suddenly, through her tear-filled eyes, a flash of movement.

For a moment she thought it was the King, come to finish her. But there was color in the movement. She wiped her eyes, and looked again. It was the ghost of Plock. In the gloom it was clearly visible, glowing faintly. But its expression was not one of hatred and contempt. It was tender, and filled with love, and pierced her to the heart, cutting through the despair, and the spell of lies.

Where it came from she didn't know, but in the darkest moment of her life, it gave her hope again. The ghost pointed at the King, and nodded. He smiled at her.

She decided to act on its advice. She looked, and found the King watching her, waiting for her to collapse and die. He did not seem to see the ghost, concentrating solely on her.

Abandoned, alone, the Color Belt's power gone, Rainbowland all but destroyed, she had nothing but her belief in the light and the rainbow, and her restored hope. Her anger suddenly grew, and it lent strength to her limbs. Two other things she still had. Her life, and a willingness to sacrifice it to ensure a future of color and hope and happiness for others. She stood up, and took off, running up the hill towards the King. She didn't realize it, but a white aura had blazed up around her.

"What are you..." said the King, "No...NO!" he shouted, realizing what she was going to do.

Rainbow Brite ran INTO the darkness beneath the glowing eyes.

The King of Shadows screamed, so loudly that everyone who could stopped their ears.

The King grew, gathering in the gloom, getting bigger and bigger, as he tried to be rid of the small spark of Light that had come within it. But that spark wouldn't be quenched by darkness.  
Instead, it grew brighter and larger, taking on rainbow hues, and began to engulf the King.

The King screamed again, and gathered more darkness to himself. In answer, the Light grew brighter, and more colorful.

The King screamed a third time, and this time there was a horrible struggle within his body, and -something- glimpsed by all for just a moment, broke free from him, and with a wail of dispair, fled upwards and away from Rainbowland.

A profound silence fell, and the sun broke through the clouds, and the King of Shadows was gone.

Rainbow Brite was gone as well.


	7. The Triumph of Darkness

Chapter Seven The Triumph of Darkness 

Once again, as in her dream on Plock's Asteroid, Rainbow Brite stood on the featureless grey plain. But there was a difference this time. She could already see around her. The light was not from any source she could find, and was a pearly grey half-light. She turned a full circle, but nothing and nobody was there, just the horizon line.

As she waited for whoever and whatever would appear, she thought about what had happened. The war was over, and she guessed she was dead. She hoped the Kids would live to choose another to lead them, and fight back. She also hoped they would forgive her for failing them.

A bright spot and a dark spot together appeared in front of her, and slowly grew larger. Suddenly the King of Shadows and Lady Brite stood before her, side by side. The King looked different. His cloak still wrapped around him, concealing every feature but his hands and eyes.

But the cloak was no longer dull and ragged. It was velvet black, with bright highlights along the edges and where the cloak's folds were.

His eyes no longer held hatred and malice, but were bright and clear. The nails of his hands were not sharp and pointed like claws any more.

"We thank you, Rainbow Brite," he said, and his voice was no longer harsh and menacing. "Your sacrifice has freed me from the evil which took me over so long ago."

She looked at them with wonder.

"Evil cannot understand or cope with such willing self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. It had no choice but to flee my being. I am no longer the King of Shadows. I reject that title, and reclaim my rightful name, Lord Dark."

Seeing her confused look, Lady Brite said gently, "Darkness and evil are not the same thing, child. Evil can use darkness for its ends, but will also use the light."

"Why--why are you together?" she asked.

"We are mates," said Lord Dark, "Neither of us can exist without the other." They joined hands, and between them the pearly grey light grew a bit brighter.

"Lord Dark and Lady Brite, and I never guessed!" said Rainbow.

"As the King of Shadows, I would not tell you," said Lord Dark.

"And I could not," said Lady Brite, "If you had the knowledge that evil had taken over Lord Dark, you would have known what to do about it. The King would have moved against you immediately, with everything at its disposal, but you would not have had a chance to do what you did. You would not have survived long. As long as it thought that secret was safe, you were just an obstacle to be overcome, and it had no qualms about being in your presence.

You were my best hope for defeating the evil and freeing my husband, and had to be given the best chance possible. I regret it had to be from ignorance."

"Then what about the ghost?" asked Rainbow.

"My creation," said Lady Brite, "I had it show up on the asteroid a year ago so that you and the others would be used to its presence. I could not contact you directly, because that would alert the King. But the ghost had no direct link to me so was just a minor matter him. Its sole purpose was to show you that not all hope was lost, that you were still loved, and that the spell was a lie. It did so admirably."

"What spell?" asked Rainbow, confused.

"The bolt of blackness the King sent against you. It was a spell of lies meant to break your spirit, and destroy your hope."

"You mean my friends didn't turn away from me?" she asked, happiness swelling within her.

"Of course not. What you saw is what the King wanted you to see. They are your friends, and family, and they would never abandon you. They could do nothing for you, but they would all have gladly sacrificed themselves for you.

"Even," added Lord Dark, and a smile was in his voice, if not visible on his concealed face, "Sorrell the Sorcerer. He has learned a lesson, and has changed."

Rainbow looked down. "I am dead, then."

"No! We have brought you here to explain it all to you. We will send you back when our business is finished."

"Where is the evil now?" asked Rainbow.

"It has fled far away to a dark corner of the Universe to lick its wounds and plan anew for domination of the Universe. But it will be a long time before it gains the strength to try," said Lord Dark. "Evil cannot be destroyed completely, as long as this Universe exists. But for now, the balance has been tipped in favor of the good.

"The Books of Dal," said Rainbow, "Do you know how they were taken from my homeworld?"

"Yes," said Lord Dark, "That was the King's doing. He took over the body of Troy before they left for Rainbowland, and smuggled the books aboard the ship. After they arrived here, it was a simple matter to take them back off-planet."

"But why?" asked Rainbow.

"You know the power of what's in those books. In the right hands, that knowledge could have destroyed all the color and light, and ended life. The King thought that by delivering them into those hands, its ends could be accomplished easily and quickly. Fortunately its couriors, Murky Dismal and Lurky, ran into difficulties, and lost the books. Over time the set was split up, and individual volumes stayed with certain people and their families for generations, until lost or sold again.

Magicians had them, and studied them closely, but without the whole set, there were limits to what they could do. Other magicians jelously guarded the volumes they had, and refused to share their information. That too was fortunate, because it prevented the King from exploiting them. The books stayed out of sight for many, many years, while the King looked for them. They were not gathered back together until Plock managed it through his used book chains.

Sorrell had heard of the books, of course; they are part of the magicians legends and lore, and getting one or more of them had been a dream of his for years.

When Plock got all of them, he contacted Sorrell, since he had an agreement with him to look for things from your homeworld.

The King has been keeping tabs on all of the powerful magicians in the area, and took over Sorrell to get the books without revealing himself.

When you drove him from Sorrell, he had little choice but to seek out new agents, and contacted the Princess and Count Blogg. He knew if he didn't act quickly, the books would be beyond his reach.  
But you sent them back with Troy and Mist before the King could act.

That angered him beyond all understanding, until he realized that, if the books were back on your home world, you could not use them either. With the Books of Dal no longer a factor, the conventional and magical forces of the Princess could destroy you and Rainbowland. He knew she had beaten you once.

"What happened to the Princess and Count Blogg?"

Lord Dark bowed his head. "They are dead. The King used Blogg's greed and lust for power to trick him, and they were destroyed along with the magic Jewel. I am sorry for that, but could do nothing to prevent it."

I am so relieved to be free of the evil. I have seen and done things over the millinia that are so horrific, the very memory of them makes me shudder. No matter how hard I struggled, only on rare occasions could I influence the evil. But I witnessed all it did."

He spread his arms, and the cloak rustled, the fabric's hilites flashing brightly in the half-light, against the contrast of the pure black of the cloak itself.

"Now I am free! With the help of the Light, the Darkness has triumphed over evil, and now the dark will no longer be a scary thing, concealing unknown evils, but a comfort and a rest."

"So this was a war of Darkness...against Evil," said Rainbow. Lord Dark and Lady Light nodded.

"You have fulfilled my dreams, and we, along with the rest of the Universe, are in your debt," said the Lady.

"What happens now?" asked Rainbow.

"We will send you back. The effects of evil cannot be wholly erased, nor can its accomplishments be reversed without some effort. You and your friends have a lot to do to restore things to normal on Rainbowland, Earth, and the other worlds in your care."

"We will get it done!" she declared.

The Lord and Lady looked at each other, then at her.

"We know you will, Rainbow Brite," said Lord Dark, "Evil spoke the truth when it told the Princess and the Count that you are one of the Great Lights of the Universe.

We too have a lot to do. Good luck, Rainbow Brite! Always remember we will be supporting you in your efforts. And thank you!"

They faded away, and the light faded as well.

"You're welcome! She called. "I'll always do my best to keep the color in the world!"

The light disappeared.

"Are you okay, Rainbow?" asked Krys.

She found herself standing on the grass, where she had run into the King. There was no sign of him.

She looked around. The gloom had broken up, and the clouds were drifting away toward the Pits on a warm breeze. The sun now shone brightly, revealing the full extent of the damage to Rainbowland.

"Uh, yes, I'm okay. Thanks, Krys," she said, distracted.

"The fighting seems to be over," he commented, "And my sister's forces are unsure what to do because Blogg, the King, and she have disappeared. I think we can beat them, now that they are leaderless."

"That won't be necessary," said a new voice.

Rainbow and Krys turned in its direction, to find General Zombo standing nearby. Krys raised the Prism.

Zombo saluted. "General Zombo, reporting to the Prince," he said, coming to attention.

"HUH?" said Krys, shocked. But the Prism didn't waver.

"My loyalty has always been to the Royal Family, sir," said the tall alien, "I served your parents, and when they disappeared, your sister. Now she is gone, so now I follow your orders."

Krys glanced at Rainbow, who was studying Zombo. She looked at Krys and nodded. Krys relaxed.

"Then release the Color Kids and others, General, then recall your troops, and send them to help put out the fires. I want medical attention for Stormy, immediately."

"Yes, sir," said Zombo, and gave the orders.

The War of Darkness was over.


	8. Forever!

Chapter Eight "Forever!" 

Getting the fires put out took hours. Calling the Sprites who had escaped back was difficult, and they were confused and unsure because the ones who had attacked were now helping. But the Color Kids reassured them, and slowly they came back and helped restore order.

Over the next several days the full extent of the damage to Rainbowland revealed itself. The Color Castle was a smoking ruin, but the Color Crystal processing machinery on the lower floor was intact. All the Kid's personal possessions were gone. It would be months before the Color Signal could be broadcast again, and much of the color would be gone by then.

Many of the Sprite houses were burned to the ground, and some of the Sprites suffered injuries. A few were still missing, but none had been killed. That had been part of the plan, since they were needed as labor in the mines for the Princess. The ones she had turned to crystal were restored when the Jewel was destroyed.

The remaining Slurthies had fled into the forest when the King had vanished, and were not seen again. The few Glitterbots that had not been destroyed were set to work gathering wood for repairs. The Palace Guardsmen and Builderbots also helped.

Rainbow used the communications equipment in Plock's ship to call Doris on the asteroid, and explain what had happened to her surrogate in Robot Brite. It saddened her, but she had most of the robot's experiences stored, so little was actually lost.

Everyone was checked, and declared free of any Slurthies.

A few days later a large sphere of light arrived. It burst upon touchdown to reveal Troy and Mist. A joyous reunion ensued.

It broke their hearts to see Rainbowland so torn up. It had been colorless and gloomy when they had fled on On-X so long ago, but not destroyed.

They were aware of all that had happened, and had been sent to help.

They dug through the rubble of the Castle, and finally uncovered a section near what had been the front door. Mist pressed down on a barely-visible plate, which popped up to reveal several star-shaped controls.

She pressed them in a sequence, then advised they all leave, and quickly. They gathered on the other side of the moat, as creaks and groans came from the ruins.

Suddenly a blinding light burst from it, taking on the colors of the rainbow. Like a fountain of color, the rainbow suddenly reached for the clear blue sky. When it faded away, the Castle sat,  
restored.

Rainbow and Violet looked at Mist for an explanation.

"This is how we set up the Castle in the first place," she said, "It also removes most maintinence problems."

Inside, they found the Color Console restored. But everything they had owned was still gone.

"A small price to pay to keep the colors going," said Rainbow.

Violet was checking the monitor controls.

"But a lot of color was lost, especially in the outer reaches of the Color Signal's range," she said, "You now have a lot to do."

Rainbow smiled. She was glad to hear it.

The sight of the restored Castle was a great comfort to the Sprites, who redoubled their efforts to restore their houses, and return things to normal.

And slowly, they did.

Troy and Mist reported that, despite a year's investigation, nothing had been learned about how the Books of Dal were taken from the home world. Rainbow feigned disappointment, but had decided not to tell what she had learned about it from Lord Dark. Not because Troy would have gotten into trouble; he wouldn't when the story was learned, but to spare him the embarrassment. He had been through enough already, and didn't need a new burden of guilt.

The manufacturing machines had not been damaged, and were running full-time now to make new furniture for the Castle and Sprite houses.

Rainbow sent a message to Brian and his family to postpone their next visit. She promised to give a full account of the story to them, when they did come.

The day arrived that Rainbow had secretly dreaded. Krys was now the Prince, and had to leave with Zombo and the army to restore order to his native planet.

The army had done a good job of restoration, and now it was a matter of letting nature heal the wounds, and that would take a very long time.

But before they left, they gathered into formation to watch a ceremony.

Color crystal had been put into the hopper, processed, and delivered to the despensers on the main floor. The Kids, with the help of their favorite Sprites, loaded Starsprinkles into the Console,  
and watched as each color climbed up the column and made the globe glow.

The Kids sat around the Console at their stations, and smiled at each other. When everything seemed ready, they all pressed their activation buttons together.

Outside, the star atop the Castle flashed, and the rainbow lept from it, as it always had, and arched over the mountain where the mine was, disappearing into the distance.

There was loud cheering.

Rainbow turned to Krys. "Goodbye, Krys," she said, "Thank you for your help."

"Any time, and always, Rainbow," he answered.

A tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "I'll miss you," she said, "Prince Krys."

He turned red.

"If you need me, don't hesatate to call," he said.

"I won't," she assured him.

"And when I need you, I will call you," he whispered to her.

"Always, my friend," she answered.

The new Prince's troops turned and marched to waiting ships, and within minutes, they took off, and headed for the Throne World.

Wajah was taking Orin back to Spectra, to finish the trip that never really got started. But at least instead of getting help, they would have a happy report to make.

The old Sprite wiped a tear from his eye. "Goodbye, Rainbow Brite," he said, "I will miss you."

"We will always be friends, Orin, and I'll see you soon."

Not daring to say more lest he lose control completely, Orin turned and went up the ramp into the waiting saucer. Many of the Sprites had come to see him off, and they cheered for him. At the top of the ramp he turned and waved to them.

"Good bye, Rainbow Brite," said Wajah, shaking her hand. "I had a great time visiting."

"Goodbye, Wajah," she answered, "I'm sorry you had to be involved in the war, but grateful for your help."

He ran into the ship, and he and Orin waved as the ramp withdrew and the hatch closed. A moment later, the saucer lifted off and flew away.

"I need to get home as well," said Sorrell, who was standing nearby.

"I understand," said Rainbow, "Thank you for your help."

"No thanks are necessary. You helped make me a better sorcerer, and that's a deed beyond thanks."

"I didn't do much," said Rainbow.

"You kept showing me friendship, even in the face of my rudeness, and you saved my life, and the lives of everyone. I hope I can," he smiled, "Grow up to be like you."

Without waiting for her to answer, he turned and climbed into his ship, and a minute later was gone.

A month later, Rainbow once more stood in the parapet of the Color Castle, looking out over her realm. It was a beautiful day, and much of the damage still visible was from burnt vegetation that even the Color Belt hadn't been able to restore.

Twink's hammock had been returned to the new rings imbedded in the wall, and he was enjoying living in the Castle.

Things were the same, and yet they had changed. The experience of having a Slurthie within had matured the Color Kids somewhat.

They had not been children for a long time, but Rainbowland had kept them all "young at heart". Now their outlook was more adult.

Twink ran up to her. "Rainbow, there's a message for you!" he said, all excited.

"Thank you, Twink," she answered, and slid down the fireman's pole to her room. That was always fun.

The message was sitting on her new desk, folded neatly. It read:

Rainbow,

Am sending for you and the Color Kids. Ship will be arriving within a day to bring you all here. See you soon,

Krys

When they arrived on the Throne World, a female figure was standing next to Krys on the edge of the landing pad.

"DORIS!" shouted Rainbow, and hugged her friend. Then she looked at Krys. "How?" she asked.

"We found the diagrams in Count Blogg's rooms. After we rebuilt her, we contacted Doris, and she downloaded the robot's memories. Very little was actually lost."

Three days later, they all attended the coronation of Krys as Prince. It was a stately, elaborate, and solumn ceremony, nothing at all like the simple and happy ones held on Rainbowland. Afterward,  
Prince Krys addressed his people, his ministers, his officers, and his friends.

"I thank you all for accepting me as Prince. I will try my best to be a good leader. I have seen the abuses my sister inflicted on you all, and want you to know they will cease."

There were cheers.

"But I would not be here now if it weren't for my friends from Rainbowland," he continued, "I want to introduce to you all, Rainbow Brite."

Gasps from the throngs outside. They had heard rumors of a person by that name, who was giver of color and happiness. But it was only a wistful rumor. Nobody like that could actually exist,  
but it was a pleasant fantasy. But there she was, a small-statured blonde female who looked like a child.

"I am very happy for my friend Krys to have finally found his world and heritage. I know he will be a just and wise ruler, and a friend to all," she said.

"As a token, the Color Kids and I will give you all a present. It will be a sign of friendship between us all."

"Now it's our turn," said Red Butler, and the Color Kids stepped up close to her, and once more she touched the star on the Color Belt. They all soared up as they had on the planet in the Rainbow Nebula, and began activating colors. The bright colors brought delight to the crowd.

The new colors were still rather dull. The crowd was delighted, however. Rainbow and the Kids were shortly over the horizon from the castle, doing what they had done on the planet in the Coal Sack nebula. When they were finished, they went toward the dull grey sun.

They came back down from the sky, and landed neatly among the people. The crowd cheered for the show, and gave them some room.

"Don't look at the sun," she warned, and the people wondered why. The sun had always been grey, though it gave off enough light and heat for them to live.

Suddenly, the light blazed up, and they couldn't look at it. They looked around in wonder. The deep shadows had retreated, and the sky was now a beautiful shade of blue. The activated colors were now bright and eye-catching.

"Your world has now joined the many others with color and light, a new day has dawned here," she said to the crowd.

The cheering grew louder.

"How long will this last?" asked a child about Brian Jr's age, and the question spread over the noise of the crowd. As the word spread, the partying paused to hear the answer.

Before answering, she looked around. Up on the balcony, Prince Krys stood in the sun, face upraised and eyes closed, enjoying the sensation.

The Color Kids, knowing the answer to the question, were grinning. The people were still examining things, and enjoying their first tastes of bright colors. There was wonder on their faces, mixed with anxiety that it was all just a dream, and tomorrow things would be as they've always been, dull and dreary.

She looked at the boy, and grinned.

"Forever!" Rainbow Brite answered.

The noise of the crowd's cheering was deafening.

The End


End file.
